Investigators are trying to determine why a Kentucky sheriff allegedly shot and killed a district judge after they argued inside the judge’s chambers, according to Kentucky State Police.
District Judge Kevin Mullins, 54, was found around 3 p.m. Thursday with gunshot wounds and pronounced dead at the Letcher County courthouse in Whitesburg, Kentucky State Police Trooper Matt Gayheart said at a Thursday evening news conference.
Letcher County Sheriff Shawn M. Stines, 43, — whose role made him responsible for judges’ personal security — shot Mullins after an argument inside the judge’s chambers, a preliminary police investigation revealed. Stines is now facing a first-degree murder charge, state police said. CNN is trying to determine whether Stines has an attorney.
Stines turned himself in after the shooting and was arrested at the scene without incident on Thursday, authorities said. He is cooperating with authorities, Gayheart said. It is unclear who will take over as the county sheriff following the arrest of Stines, who had been sheriff for about eight years.
There are cameras inside the building and all witnesses will be interviewed, he said.
“This community is small in nature, and we’re all shook,” Gayheart said.
The killing came less than two weeks after southeast Kentucky was rocked by a shooting at an interstate that wounded five people in Laurel County. And just three days ago, a Russell County deputy was killed in the line of duty, officials said.
“There is far too much violence in this world, and I pray there is a path to a better tomorrow,” Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said in a social media post.
While other people were in the building when Mullins was shot, no one else was inside the judge’s chambers and no other injuries were reported. There’s no threat to the public, Gayheart added.
Law enforcement has yet to release details about the argument that led up to the shots, and the motive remains under investigation, Gayheart said, adding the incident was “isolated.”
Stines is jailed in nearby Leslie County. It is not clear when Stines will have his first court appearance because arraignments for crimes committed in Letcher County would normally be handled by Mullins, said Jackie Steele, the Commonwealth’s Attorney assigned to the case.
“The last word I got from the Court system was that they were looking for a judge to take the case and that the arraignment will be next week, but the date and time is unknown at this time,” Steele told CNN by email Friday.
In Kentucky, sheriffs are responsible for security at courthouses – including the personal security of judges – according to Jerry Wagner, a retired sheriff who is now the executive director of the Kentucky Sheriff’s Association.
“We have 120 sheriffs that work on a daily basis with our judges. We work more closely with them than any other elected officials,” Wagner told CNN Friday.
“No one saw this coming,” Wagner added. “I don’t know how you prepare for this.”
Here’s what we know about the two men, the killing and the investigation so far.
